What Once Was
by Ichigatsu Yami Bara
Summary: He was missing. She was dead. Ghosts of past best friends haunted their dreams, plaguing their minds. Now he is back and her lover is half dead. ItaxOC fem M for sex scene. Be mature. Tradegy.
1. Walking On Water

What Once Was 

Hey, it's Ichigatsu once again. I stopped writing for a little bit but I'm back. I've decided to introduce my original character Ryusuki into many romantic and impossibly hard situations. I want to write more but not in vain so review. First with the sexy weasel we all know and love.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Itachi-kun but I won't lie. I own nothing but Ryusuki and her past. Bwhahahaha!

Deep In Peaceful Konoha:

It was the perfect time to show his dominance over the copy-ninja Kakashi. He had received the Sharingan in one eye but was also outside of the clan. He knew how he had gotten it. It just irked him that he had it. The Mangekyou was a deadly weapon. And to think Kakashi believed he could withstand it. His mistake. He would slowly kill him. Kisame could have the others. And anymore that appeared. He didn't care. There was nothing left in Konoha for him to care for. _'She died a long time ago'_ he reminded himself silently, the pain evident. No one could see his face anyway, no worries. His hair became tousled after a blow of wind, two shinobi appearing, one an ANBU. He eyed the ANBU. It had to be a girl. She was slim and curvy. Plump in all the right places. As the other jounin helped Kakashi, he noticed the ANBU froze as he turned to her. He blinked and her mask was off and in her hand, her long violet hair swaying behind her.

He stopped breathing. He stopped Kisame from attacking her. "It can't be…" he whispered, taking a few steps forward on the water's surface. She took a few steps as well. A voice, sweeter than any angels and almost too quiet and hurt spoke up. "I…Itachi?" she whispered, his name so sweet rolling off her tongue. He wanted to hold her more than anything at that moment. He thought she was dead. Her face had haunted him more so than the ghosts of his slaughtered clan. He had killed them and yet she seemed more important. He looked over her figure again, taking in her beautiful face, her deep purple eyes, her pale skin in contrast to her slightly reddened lips and cheeks, the column of her neck shadowed by her hair…He was in utter shock. Her breasts were larger than when he had last seen her. But what did he suspect? Her not to change at all? Her waist was slim, her hips were just right, and her legs were long. And also gave him the feeling she was uncomfortable by the way they were positioned. He gazed up at her face, his eyes long since returned to normal, him not running the risk of hurting her. Not her. Even though he could feel his accomplice's stare, he ignored it.

Ryusuki flushed, watching him continue to approach, ignoring the scrutiny of her fellow jounin, unaware of her lover, Kakashi, lying unconscious with Gai and the other two protecting him. His hand lightly slid onto her cheek, stroking under her eye as if she had been crying and he was wiping away these ghost tears. He was taller than she recalled. His face hardened by pain and agony. Her hand lightly slid under his cloak, touching his chest and torso, feeling the hard muscle ripple under her fingers. She heard his sharp intake of air and gazed back up at his face. Oh god he was magnificent. Handsome and mysterious. Her other hand lightly tucked a stray piece of hair from his face. That lock was always troublesome. She had threatened to hack it off once upon a time.

This was too much. When they had last seen each other, they were best friends. Now, these feelings and this electricity was bouncing between them. She gasped softly as she felt his hand slide under her ANBU vest and shirt, lightly drawing circles on the small of her back. She grabbed a handful of his shirt, trying hard not to get frisky right here and right now. She watched his facial expression through half-lidded eyes. He was bordering on incredulous.

"Ryusuki…" was all she heard. Such a deep voice, matted with lust that resembled a guttural growl, turning her on just that much more. He leaned down to her slowly, his hot breath fanning over her lips and cheeks. He was giving her a chance to stop him because he couldn't stop now. Wind blew past them, moving their hair into crazy motions, not like they noticed. She couldn't hear Gai's screams for her to stop as any more than a murmured whisper. The same went for Itachi's companion's yells and growls. She whimpered softly and pulled him down slowly by his shirt. She nearly had a heart attack from the passion as his lips settled on hers, exciting her, driving her wild, intensifying her fervor without any effort. He pulled her roughly against him, her breasts pressing against him. Her arms slid up around his neck, her fingers slipping into his hair. The perfect length on him of course. She gasped to his mouth as he slipped his tongue in her mouth, his eyes remaining closed, and his hands slid to her rump, squeezing and fondling it. Never before had she felt like this. Never before would she have let anyone but Kakashi touch her there. She moaned and closed her eyes, going onto her tippy toes. She felt herself becoming damp and she felt him against her leg as well. Their tongues wrestled. He was such an amazing kisser and she began to wonder how he had become that good, being an S-Class criminal after all.

She snapped out of her trance, her eyes opening in an instant, coming back to the present. Itachi's eyes opened slightly as he felt her lips harden under his skillful ones. She cried out and broke away, pushing his chest so suddenly; he had no chance to hold onto her. Everything slowed for her. She swung her hand so fast that she nearly fell over. A sharp crack sounded as her hand connected with his cheek, nearly sending him under water by itself. She stood straight as everything went silent, save for her occasional sob. A few rogue tears slipped down her cheek as he looked at her shocked, his hand touching the red mark. He smiled at her, but not in the way she expected. It was almost lovingly and was still filled with lust. "Love you too." He muttered before being dragged off by Kisame. Gai walked over to her and comforted her. They were good friends by this point. Asuma and Kurenai took Kakashi away as Gai began to try and calm her as she sobbed into his shirt. "He isn't for you. He doesn't care for you, Ryu-chan." How was that comforting? She sniffled softly as he offered to take her home. "I'm fine. Please don't tell anyone. Try to keep Kurenai and Asuma quiet. I never want to hear about this again. I'm with Kakashi. And I care for him."

"I'm sure Asuma and Kurenai don't think any worse of you."

"I hope not…"

"Don't be concerned. I'll silence them."

_'Geez. If she hit any harder, my face would've come off.' _Itachi thought, watching from his perch. It was the dead of night and Ryusuki had just come home. He watched her move about her apartment. The same one she had lived in when they were kids. They always stayed there and hung out. Mainly because there were no adults. She had told him what had happened to her parents and that was when she had earned an even higher level of respect. He noticed the new furnishings and the large bed she had right next to the window. She always spoke of how much she wanted the moon to gaze upon her when she slept. He smiled. He had watched her sleep under the moonlight once and, even though they were kids, she was beautiful.

He squinted as she flicked off her lights, struggling to see in the candlelight that she had always favored. He hopped closer, landing silently beside her window, barely stirring the air. He watched as she picked out some bedclothes, consisting of bra and panties. _'That's it? That's all the wears?' _he asked himself silently. Then she threw them on a pair of jeans and t-shirt on a chair. It clicked then that she slept naked. He felt blush rise to his cheeks, thinking of her naked. What a beautiful sight. He shook his head and frowned, watching her walk into the bathroom. He slipped in soundlessly, hiding behind a wall. There were no doorways in her apartment excluding her bathroom door and front door. It was a big square, cube technically. There was her bedroom and bathroom on the lower half of it and a kitchen and rec room in the upper half. The front door led into the rec room. He heard a sigh come from the bathroom and concentrated on the girl inside the room. "Oh Itachi…" she whispered, making him curious. He heard a light sniffle. "I've missed you. Why…why would you kill your clan? They were the only ones who accepted me as a person. Then I return to find them dead, you missing, and your little Emo brother crying constantly." He smirked at her last comment. Sasuke had always annoyed her when he was younger but they had gotten along nonetheless. She had always loved little twerps. She'd be a great mother one day.

A final sigh and she stepped out of the dark bathroom, the scents of strawberries and toothpaste mixing oddly. _'Strawberries…'_ he thought with such yearning. They had always eaten them together. Maybe it was her way of remembering him. He stepped out of the shadows, her back to him. He noticed she had changed into sweatpants and a man's button up shirt. For a moment, he felt a deep stab of jealousy when he thought of Ryusuki's 'lover', Kakashi. Through sources, he had discovered they had been seeing each other for almost four months. He inhaled deeply, not catching Kakashi's scent but one solely hers. She had always loved baggy clothes. He guessed she continued that enjoyment at night. He wasn't sure how to approach, all of a sudden. He shook his head and lightly ran his hands along her shoulders, feeling her stiffen instantly. "Sssshhh…" he whispered, pressing his front against her back. He leaned down to her ear. "It's just me. Don't be frightened." He felt her ease and saw his opening as her head tilted slightly. His index finger lightly hooked the right side of the collar of her shirt, revealing her neck and shoulder. He lightly trailed kisses along the newly revealed flesh, the candlelight becoming sensual. A soft moan and whimper was his reward and made him eager to continue. He wanted to please her so bad it hurt. He lightly nipped and sucked on her neck, smiling as he felt her hand on his thigh, squeezing it gently. She was passionate. He could feel it coursing through her veins. It had just been released from its shackles. He wanted her to embrace it.

His hands were beginning to sweat even though they felt cold to him. He slid his arms under hers and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. A small gasp was the only uncooperative thing she did. He pulled out her ponytail, releasing her hair, which he felt was the softest thing he had ever been permitted to feel besides her lovely skin. He felt her move slightly and he allowed her to, beginning to trust her once more. She moved and spun slowly in his arms, facing him. She was wearing a spaghetti strap top with no bra. "Bloody hell." He cursed almost silently, looking at her breasts momentarily. He slipped his hands under her outer shirt and slid it off her shoulders until it was a pile of fabric on the floor. His hands slid along her arms, noting the goose bumps that appeared. They continued, transferring to her slim sides, then down, undoing the string the held her sweatpants up besides her hips. He edged them down, holding her hips gently. He lifted her out of them, their eyes not leaving each other's for anything. He felt her hand inch up and undo the clasp of his Akatsuki cloak, allowing it to fall harmlessly to the floor. They were taking their time now. They didn't want to rush. But seeing this gorgeous woman in only panties and a tank top nearly drove him nuts. Her small hands lightly grabbed the hem of his sweater, pulling it over his head. When he looked at her again, she was examining his chest, obviously liking what she saw. He smirked with satisfaction but it was short lived. He groaned as she circled his nipple with her nail. He looked back at her smiling face and smiled gently in return. She was beautiful. He lightly stroked her cheek and she kissed his palm.

He was going to speak but worried that it would destroy this moment. Nothing would disrupt this. He would kill anyone that tried. Hell, he had done it before. He felt her go for his pants, easily pulling them off after he kicked his shoes off. He felt her toes peel off his socks and remembered when she had shown him that she could eat with her toes. She was so flexible. He was wondering if she still was. One arm encircled her waist gently, holding her close to him; the other reached up and discarded his headband. Her hands slipped across his face with a feather light touch. He looked down at her, knowing that after this, he wouldn't be able to let go. She moaned softly as his lips contacted hers and he began moving her backwards, pressing her back against the wall. It was starting to get quicker and hotter.

Ryusuki moaned. Everything she had ever dreamed about for an intense sexual encounter was happening. And with Itachi. Oh god he was handsome. She closed her eyes, holding his face between her hands as he lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist to secure herself. He seemed plenty pleased. She slipped her fingers into his hair. It was becoming frantic. They couldn't get enough of touching each other. His hands closed around her wrists and he pinned her to the wall. Never once before had she felt so erotically helpless. She loved it. A man like Itachi had to be dominant in all things he did. Including sex. And she knew it.

She moaned into his mouth again as he rubbed against her, her panties beginning to get wet. "Get out of those clothes or I'll rip them off." He warned her, his voice rough and deep with lust once again. He allowed her to get down momentarily. She pulled off her shirt and slid the panties off her legs, meek about how she looked. She wanted him to be pleased. She looked up into his eyes that were busy looking her over. He smirked, making her worry for a second, then lowered his head, trapping a nipple in his mouth. She very nearly cried out as he began sucking and nipping it, moving to the other when the first had become a tight bud. "Oh Itachi! I can't wait any longer!" she cried, moaning. He silenced her with his skillful mouth. "Then lets do this now. I will enjoy your body after I achieve my release." She smiled at the way he said it. So selfish and yet so sensual.

He picked her up and carried her to the bed, lying her down as he pulled off his boxers. She gasped at his size and licked her lips nervously. Kakashi was big but Itachi was bigger. His need made his member quiver against his belly. "Are you pleased?" he asked, his voice not filled with it's usual confidence. He wanted to be better than Kakashi for her. She nodded and held up the blanket for him. He put out the candle with the palm of his hand and slipped under the blanket, lying on top of her. He nestled himself between her legs and smiled down at her. She was pulsing already. He slowly entered her, making her moan and cry out every second he delayed it. He smiled and rammed home, hitting her G-spot easily. Her back arched, her head leaned back. He began nipping at her neck, setting up a pace that quickened slowly. Her nails dug into his shoulders, one hand raking the nails up his back. "Oh god…" she whispered, her legs wrapping around him, urging him to faster. He pulled back from her neck and began going faster. His eyes had become red with the Sharingan. He whispered sweet-nothings into her ear as he came back down to her.

Finally, she tightened, her body going into spasms with an orgasm as Itachi emptied himself inside of her. They collapsed into a pile of panting, sweaty flesh. Nothing had ever felt that good to her. Not ever. He rolled off to the side and pulled her to him, cradling her against his rock hard body. "I didn't initially come to do this…" he murmured breathlessly, trying to explain his actions. "I wanted it more than anything, but I came to talk before. To catch up and explain that kiss-" "I wanted it more than I've ever wanted something else." She whispered, cutting him off. She cuddled to him under the blanket. "I know you can't stay but at least let me fall asleep in your arms." She wanted to be close to him now more than ever. She looked up at him in the moonlight, adoring the sight. He kissed her soundly. "I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. I'd rather be arrested. I saw you sleep in the moonlight when we were kids. I want you to grant me the same pleasure tonight. Let me see my angel sleep." He murmured. She complied and fell into a peaceful sleep with him. She would worry later. She couldn't be arrested for sleeping with a criminal. Or could she?

End of Chapter One!

Honk if you like sex! I'm only kidding. I'll probably continue this story if you people like it. If you do, message me or review or something!

-Ichigatsu


	2. Walking on Air

What Once Was 

I have returned. Hooray!! Welcome to Chapter 2. Wow! I've made it far! Anyway, back to Itachi and Ryusuki. I think they're cute. Either way, welcome and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Itachi-kun but I won't lie. I own nothing but Ryusuki and her past. Bwhahahaha!

In Ryusuki's Small Apartment:

Ryusuki moaned slightly, the sun filtering into her window awaking her. She tossed and turned then slowly opened her eyes, sitting up. She held her blanket to her chest, keeping herself covered as she sought out her midnight lover. _'Itachi…'_ she thought, smiling. He smiled faded as, though he wasn't here, he had left a note and some strawberries on her kitchen table. He had remembered. She giggled and stood, wrapping the black sheet around her slim body. She eyed the note as she ate a strawberry and began reading. Itachi said:

"I could barely stand leaving you this morning. One look at you and I was hungry for you all over again. But I didn't want to risk you getting into trouble. Plus, Kisame is probably fairly irate by now."

She giggled.

"Either way, I am going to try and return to you tonight. I left my headband under your bed so I have an excuse. Knowing Kisame, he'll probably either try to hit me or slap me on the back congratulating me. I hope last night was wonderful for you Ryusuki because it was the most amazing thing that has happened to me in the longest time. See you soon, Itachi."

Her heart swelled as she became wary of the ache between her legs. They had made love three times after the first during the night. And it was often her waking him up to do it. And, even though he was in the dominant position, he obeyed her. She smiled at the memory and set the note down, sliding a strawberry along her kiss-swollen lips. She stood, energetic now, and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of juice. Apparently Itachi had been thirsty. "And practically cleaned out my fridge." She joked, giggling. She closed her door and looked at the pictures, her happiness lost suddenly. "Kakashi…" she whispered, lightly brushing her fingers over the pictures. There was their first date, their first mission, the time she pushed him into a lake and he tried to get her in there. The picture they took with Team Seven. And their first kiss which Sakura took the liberty of taking. The last picture was of her wrapped in a bed sheet, laughing. She remembered that moment vividly. She felt a deep thunk in her heart. She cared for Kakashi as she always had. But now, she was sure she didn't love him. She loved Itachi as she always had.

She could've broke down and cried right then. She walked over and sat on her windowsill, her sheet dangling off the side of it. She sighed, eating her strawberries slowly. What would she do? She couldn't be with Itachi because of his status as a criminal. But she couldn't lie to Kakashi and live with him under the idea that she loved him. She sighed, holding her knees to her. This is when she needed a friend so terribly bad. She sighed once again. "Itachi and I are going to have to talk tonight." She whispered, standing. She pulled off her sheet and grabbed her clothes, heading into her bathroom. She took a long shower, changed, did her hygienic duties quickly and headed out, locking her apartment. She stopped by the flower shop, picking up some lilies for Kakashi. She walked into his hospital room, happy to not have run into anyone. She put the flowers in a vase beside his bed and sat beside him. "You and I are going to have to have a long talk about doing stupid things when you wake up buddy boy." She joked, tears welling under her eyes. She smiled weakly and brushed a lock of hair from his face.

It had been a long day. She had spent practically all of it at Kakashi's bedside and now, she was in bed, trying to sleep. It was hard to believe her life had become this complicated. She was the girl who nobody wanted in the academy and all of a sudden, two very sexy men were after her. She rolled onto her stomach and sighed into her pillow, not finding a comfortable position anywhere.

He watched her toss and turn, obviously troubled. He was concerned. "Ryusuki…" he whispered, gaining her attention. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine." He watched her light a candle and wrap herself in the sheet, tucking it in at her cleavage. She stood and walked over to the window, closing it. She turned, gasping as he appeared before her. "Am I not welcome in your bed anymore?" he asked, feeling the hurt, jealousy, and betrayal. When she smiled, he released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "It's just that, as you probably know, I've been seeing Kakashi for a long time now and we have this thing…" she began, making him almost collapse inside. The one woman he chose to care about and she is planning on getting rid of him. The force of the blow made him need to sit down on the bed. He looked up at her as she sat on his lap, holding him around the neck. "I won't lie. I have feelings for him. But they aren't as strong as the ones I've been feeling for you." She explained. He smiled and kissed her, sitting her on the bed gently and kneeling in front of her. "You have no idea how happy you just made me. I don't want you to become a criminal like me though but I want to be with you so bad-" He was silenced with a kiss, her fabulous lips caressing his. He would take her again tonight, this he knew. He kissed her with fervor, enjoying every second her lips were on his. He began to stand, lying her down as he quickly undressed and joined her.

Itachi smiled down at her, her breathing now steady and even from their most recent romp between the sheets. The blanket covered her breasts and down but only covered his lower stomach and down. Her breath fanned over his chest as her fingers began tracing out his muscles. "What can we do?" she whispered, lightly kissing his side. "To be with you, I'd have to abandon Konoha. And you would tire of me after awhile. Would you not?" She sighed, hugging his waist. He reached into his coat pocket. "I could never tire of you. Just looking at you makes me…excited. Plus, you have a personality second to none." He slipped the ring onto her left ring finger. It was exceptionally beautiful. The silver band shone, accenting the diamond's beauty. Small amethysts surrounded it. "They're the same color as your eyes. Will you marry me?" he asked, sitting up slightly. She looked down at the ring, completely shocked. "I love you, Uchiha Itachi…" she whispered, kissing him deeply. "I'll marry you whenever it is convenient for you." He smirked. "So right now?" he joked. He held her to him, kissing her hair. "You'll never regret it, I swear. And just the thought of seeing you all in white with your beautiful hair done up…my wedding night is going to be enjoyable." He was teasing yet serious. She giggled, a sound from heaven. He kissed her gently. Everything was going so well that he was worried. Nothing ever worked out in his favor so well. He began to sweat but Ryusuki remained nestled in his arms.

He activated his Sharingan and shoved Ryusuki off the bed roughly, taking the ring as he stood quickly, pulling his boxers on quickly. "Asshole. Where is she?" he asked, the jounin changing back into her true form. He felt a kunai pierce his skin and dropped to the ground as jounins and ANBU members appear. How had he been so distracted that he didn't notice them? He growled slightly as the kunai was dragged along his skin slowly and stopped as Ryusuki was brought from the bathroom, shivering and with a kunai at her neck. _"She's a criminal."_ He heard one man mutter. She was wet. They must've shoved her into the shower and turned it on cold. As she was released, she just fell to the ground, allowing him to see how the bonds had cut her wrists. She had been tortured. And it was his fault. He felt so weak in that moment and he couldn't believe how far he had fallen since he had seen her a day before. He was untouchable before but now, he was injured and hurt deeper than the flesh. She looked up at him sadly, her eyes holding pain. It almost tore him apart. Kakashi, he noticed, stepped forward and crouched down beside her, grabbing her chin to look at him. Though he wasn't rough, Itachi felt like slaughtering him mercilessly. _"You were under a genjutsu right? You didn't know what you were doing." _Kakashi muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear him. Itachi growled and awaited Ryusuki's answer. She had to save herself so she would have to say yes.

Ryusuki whimpered and shook her head no. "I knew exactly what I was doing. I'd rather spend my life in jail then have Itachi think I'm not in love with him." She whispered, earning a slap across the face. She could withstand any torture. Just not seeing Itachi hurt. She looked at him as she was dropped back to the floor and smiled weakly at him. She mouthed two things before she was taken away to jail: 'I love you' and 'I'll marry you'.

Rotting in a jail cell. Never thought that would happen to her. She was quite law abiding pretty much all the time. She winced as another scream rang out, echoing against the walls of the jail. "Itachi…" she whimpered, crying. She knew what they were doing to him, though she had rather be ignorant than imagine it. She was being driven insane slowly. The blood curdling screams, the squeaking of mice, the crunching noise as desperate criminals caught a mouse for dinner, and the free noises of outside. She swayed back and forth weakly, holding her knees to her chest. Finally, the buzzing electricity stopped and Itachi was tossed back into their cell, half dead. "Itachi!!" she cried, jumping down and picking him up before the mice got to him. She heaved him onto the top bunk, the only place safe from the mice, and joined him, crying on his shoulder. A member of the Hyuuga clan had blocked most of her chakra channels when she was sleeping but she had been working on opening them. She began healing him gently, whimpering. He muttered tiny phrases like 'I'm fine' to try and make her stop crying but it only served to make her more hysterical. As she finished healing him, making her pain numb, he held her close. She had kept the ring that he had given her when they were locked away together. "I wish I could save us." She whispered, sobbing into his chest. He was cold to her as not to have her harmed. She knew he loved her. She pulled the blanket over her his shoulders gently, knowing that the shabby piece of cloth wouldn't help in the least. "Kisame is going to be mad." He joked weakly, smiling down at her. "It's been two days and I haven't contacted him." He murmured, stroking her back. She shook her head. "He must know something is wrong. Maybe he's looking for me to find you." She whispered, lightly kissing his jaw. She wanted hope, even if she placed it in the dangerous Akatsuki member.

She looked up at him to catch a small smile. "Not to worry. Kisame will put two and two together when you and I are missing and probably be able to find us easily. And knowing him, he won't be subtle about helping us escape." She reached up and tucked an ebony lock of his hair behind his ear. "Lets sleep…" she whispered, snuggling up to him. Suffering through days of misery was fine for them as long as they had these moments together. But, then again, she wasn't suffering through the horrible torture he was. She drifted off to sleep surprisingly easily, hoping not to awaken to the same horrid world she had faced over the past few days.

Itachi laid Ryusuki down to sleep and removed the cloth she had put around his shoulders, gently covering her with it. It would do nothing for her but he tried. He sighed softly and looked out the slit of a window they had. The pain didn't matter to him. It would pass. It was Ryusuki. She was the woman he loved more dearly than anything and he had gotten her arrested and spoiled her perfect world. He leaned over and lightly stroked away a smudge of dirt. She was still so beautiful to him. "Kisame," he whispered, looking up at the window, his expression hardened. "If you've ever wanted to do something for me, now is the time. Don't let me down." Itachi laid down beside Ryusuki, holding her unconscious form to him. Not for long.

Itachi awoke to a loud crash, as did Ryusuki. They both looked up at the large hole in the wall with a very large sword peeking through. Itachi smirked. "Good timing!" he yelled, lifting Ryusuki into his arms and jumping down as Itachi's shark-like partner came into view. He knew Ryusuki had become nervous in Kisame's presence, for she had stiffened. _"I broke half the criminals out before I recognized those strawberries." _Itachi was shocked. He hadn't noticed before that Ryusuki still smelt of strawberries. It was like the scent leaked from her pores. He smirked at that image and followed his partner in the escape as guards hastily tried to get ready in the dead of night.

Sorry about the delay but I have a large, cubical-like structure blocking thought processes.


	3. Walking on Fire

What Once Was

Sorry about this stupid delay. I was intending to write three endings as I like to do but there was no conflict at all in the other two. Let's just say happy endings shouldn't exist.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Naruto related.

Ryusuki slept practically the entire way to the Akatsuki hideout. Which made Kisame feel much better about taking her. Still, as Itachi knew, he wasn't going to let it go easily. Itachi gazed down at the woman asleep in his arms. He was getting her into something bigger than she deserved to be in. She was a criminal now though. Because she was with him, she was a criminal. What had he done? He couldn't have just stayed away from her? He sighed. He knew he couldn't. After all, they had been friends for so long before and now, well now…He didn't know what they were. They were lovers, he knew that much. For someone who was cherished for his knowledge originally, he sure as hell couldn't figure out what he meant to his beloved Ryusuki. As much as he was a killer, he was fairly confident he was in love with this woman. Against all odds and codes he had chosen to follow. Kisame, he knew, could tell. From the hateful glances at the purple haired beauty. It wasn't any kind of jealousy or something like that. It was just pure rage because, unless Itachi was reading him wrong, Kisame believed Ryusuki was pulling Itachi away. Would he truly give up everything for this woman? He truly believed he would now that he thought about it.

It took a long time but finally, Kisame realized they weren't going to make it back tonight and allowed Itachi to rest. It wasn't that Ryusuki was heavy. Mainly that it took a lot of strength out of him, considering he was being tortured just a short while ago. He frowned. That was just a bad memory now and, with Ryusuki, he was sure to make a lot of new ones. He just hoped that the Akatsuki would allow her in. He knew she was stronger than, probably, all of them and she was a criminal now. Why not? He just didn't want to leave the family he had come to know. They were his brothers and blood couldn't make them closer. But Ryusuki was important to him. He laid with Ryusuki, watching her sleep for a time as he thought of what was going to happen. She was a big part of his life now and, for sure, she would stay that way. How much she wanted to be in the Akatsuki, he didn't know but the hope was that she would become a member willingly as to make it easier for them to be together.

It was almost dawn and Ryusuki was watching out for enemies. Namely, her old comrades. This was a horrible situation because while she loved Itachi, they would probably send the people she was closest to after her. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her friends. But she knew she would in order to protect Itachi. It was her fault that he was tortured, her fault that he was hurt, and it was her fault that they were probably being pursued. She sighed, knowing in her gut something bad was going to happen very soon.

Ryusuki caught the katana between her hands, twisting the blade sharply, bending it. She swung a fist, connecting it with an ANBU's face. She jumped around, on both the offensive and defensive. How had so many found them? Where did they all come from? After all, she should have been able to detect their presence a long time ago. Just then, a familiar flash of silver hair leapt in front of her, causing her to block his kunai with her kunai. _"Why would you do this to me? I thought we were in love?" _he asked sharply, causing her to look away for a brief moment. "You and I were only fooling ourselves." She retorted, frowning at him. Kakashi was a good man and it hurt her to know that she'd have to seriously hurt him in order to save him from harm. It was either kill him or render him unconscious but, until the Konoha ninjas got what they wanted, they weren't going to stop and Kakashi was going to die either way in that case.

Ryusuki sighed, growing tired. She was running out of energy and chakra fast. And she hadn't even started using her Kekkei Genkai yet. But even if she tried, she would be out of luck. It took way too much chakra to control properly. Ryusuki swung her body, connecting her elbow to Kakashi's head and then moving to get closer to Itachi. She glanced behind her, seeing that both Kisame and Itachi had been injured. For her sake. It was all her fault. She was about to turn away when she saw it. A shadow. She closed her eyes and chanted with her mudras. A large black swirling mirror appeared and swallowed her up. She was too weak to use her strongest technique of her bloodline. She stumbled out of the mirror, the blade slicing through her torso where it would have gone through Itachi's back.

Itachi turned as he heard Ryusuki scream in agony. Instead of seeing her, he saw a large black mirror blocking his view. It was Ryusuki's bloodline trait. One of them at least. He heard the thud of a body lower and the Shadow Mirror seemed to disintegrate. As it disappeared, the limp body of Ryusuki was visible on the ground, blood beginning to pool at her midsection, her eyes were closed. Itachi froze in shock and fell to his knees at her feet. Everyone seemed to stop fighting at that moment, even Kisame. His breath became very labored as he moved closer to her. He lifted her off the ground, holding her head close to him as he felt the unfamiliar creeping of tears come to his eyes.

"Please. Please don't do this to me. I'm begging you. Don't leave me alone." he held her head desperately, cradling his love to him. He slowly felt the warmth of the blood seep into his pant legs, his sobs becoming more and more frantic. He clenched his hands a bit in Ryusuki's hair and gritted his teeth together, looking down at the wound. There was so much blood and he couldn't do a thing to stop it. Itachi inhaled with a shudder, finding his breath short as he pulled back to look at her pale face. There were drops of blood all over her cheeks and in her hair. He sniffled quietly and pressed his forehead to Ryusuki's. "Please. Why would you do this?" he begged desperately, not yet ready to accept that she was dead. He began muttering incoherent phrases that would make sense to only him and her, begging for her to come back to him.

Itachi felt all but one of the presences leave, leaving only him and Kisame. He just sat for a few more minutes, letting all of the pain out, here and now. Finally, he set her head down and stood, withdrawing into his Akatsuki coat as he bowed his head, his eyes hidden from sight. Kisame watched as he passed him and then looked at the dead girl. He was sure Itachi would want to bury her. Was he just going to leave her like that? He was answered as the black mirror reappeared and covered her and then disappeared. Such was the fate of a Sukai.

Itachi stayed away from Kisame as they made their way back. She was dead and she wasn't coming back. He could cope, trying to believe that she was still with him. Only, he couldn't feel her anymore. Questions plagued his mind, hurling him into a mindset of unrest. He wondered if she knew what was going to happen in the end. After all, the ninja from Konoha had left after she died even though he and Kisame were S-Class renegade ninjas. She must have known that to sacrifice herself would save him. He brooded beneath his cloak, trying to put this behind him. "Even if you are dead, you gave me everything I have ever wanted in ten minutes." He muttered to himself, thinking of her. He remembered the story of how her parents died. It seemed as though to meet a tragic and bloody end was in the Sukai's bloodline just as much as the Kekkei Genkai was. He sighed and frowned because he didn't want that for her. He took comfort knowing they would have been married if she had lived. She loved him. His beloved one and only. But now that was gone. What once was, was now lost.

Stay tuned! The next Ryusuki tale shall be coming soon! Catch up with her in Remnants of the Past! For you Kakashi lover, you won't be disappointed! Plus, it's longer!

'Til then! - Ichigatsu


End file.
